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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Today is the last day of "I could make that!" March and we've got a treat for you. There is a young woman who I used to work with named Shana. I never knew she liked to craft and I certainly never knew that she was a blogger! One day at work we got on the topic and an instant craft bond was formed! Recently, her daughter Rylie turned three, so this crafty mama got to work making a whole set of Disney Princess costumes for her!

The Little Mermaid

{A sneak preview of the cuteness- see her blog for more!}

I am so impressed by this outfit. I love the colors, the sequined sash, everything! It is so perfect for a mermaid costume and Rylie looks like a princess!

Shana tells how she came about wanting to make these outfits (hint: she thought to herself "I could make that!") and tells how to make them as well. Check out the full post at her website The Queen of Crafts. While you are there, follow her page and give her some blog love!

{Your Turn}What did you think of "I could make that!" March? Did you play along? I really do want to hear about your projects so tell me about them or better yet, link them up in the comments. I would love to check them out.

Don't forget to visit Shana for the full project how-to and more! And for heaven's sakes, give the girl some blog love...she deserves it after making all those dresses!

Apparently this idea came from Michaels (LOVE Michaels!). I actually like the Superhero look a lot, but since I'm not much of a comic book reader, I thought it would be a bit of a lie for me to sport these amazing heels.

I bought those silver heels at Goodwill several years ago. There are large clear beads attached at the toe, which I kept on the shoes. Small strips of newspaper were cut and placed in between the beads. Because the shoes were originally silver, any gaps in the paper are non visible from eye level.

Not bad, huh?

This could be pasted in several smaller pieces as well, I just chose to make the side strips long. It's entirely up to you!

I didn't change a thing from the original instructions listed on the Michaels Pinterest image except for using newspaper. Just cut, Mod Podge, stick and cover again with Mod Podge! That's it!

{Your Turn!}

Forget about the glass slipper, you wont want to leave your newspaper heels behind! Can you think of another material pattern to use (other than comic or newspaper)? Anyone else willing to try this out?

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Hello and welcome to our Spring Blog Hop! If you're following along, you should have come from the talented Lisa at A Mermaid's Crafts. If you are just joining us, head over to the beginning and visit Jill at Every Day is an Occasion.

Today I am sharing a piece of Springtime decor that I made for our fireplace mantel:

If you're thinking "wow, she has cement blocks behind her fireplace mantel?", I do not. Because of the terrible lighting in the house, I attempted to take some good shots outside. The bitter cold wind didn't help much (come on Indiana, it's SPRING now!) so I found refuge in the open spot behind the barn. That being said, excuse the lighting in these pictures.

For the base, I cut a block of wood, painted it dark green and hot glued some homemade pom poms on top. I used the "fork technique" (you can find dozens of tutorials on pinterest). I tried to make it look like a field of green grass with some white and orange flowers popping up! What do you think?

Then I added some skewers to hold up my pendant and used twine to string it across. I am so into the pendants right now, I had to use them here!

It is finished off by setting a sweet bunny on top. This little guy is actually part of a salt & pepper set that I bought at Cracker Barrel! Darling, isn't he?

{My husband thinks it's strange that they made a "green" bunny. I think he's adorable!}

Here's what it looks like against the brick on our mantel (see... bad lighting!)

{That's it!}

Sorry no blog candy today. I just got back from vacation and it completely slipped my mind! Next time I will make it extra good- deal?

If you enjoyed your stay, don't forget to Follow Us on Facebook and join our page! As always, your comments are more than appreciated- whether you have something to say or just want to say "hi", we love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your next stop is the insanely creative Missy from Quick Chick Designs.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Hello again and welcome to Day FIVE of "I could make that!" March! Each time I go to write what day we are on, I am more and more shocked on how quickly this month is going! We're halfway through March already- can you believe it?! Are you ready for today's post?

I put my own spin on this DIY shorts idea that was found on Pinterest. For starters, I made the shorts by cutting up an old favorite pair of jeans that I couldn't let myself part with (even though they had a huge tear down the front). I also added a few more "patches". Let's take a look:

First, I cut my pants into shorts, making them long enough to cuff at the bottom. Since one leg already had a big rip in it, I put another hole on the other side as well (this helped them to flare out a little too).

Just like the pin that inspired me, I covered one whole side of the shorts with fabric. This was sort of an excuse to finally buy that dainty vintage floral print fabric I've been eying.

{I cut the edges with pinking shears but I might go back with a straight edge and trim closer to the seam}

After that, I went my own way and added a few more touches. Since I made a cut in the other leg, I needed a patch to cover it up. Here I took the floral print fabric and covered it with some lace. It's a heart! I loooooove hearts!

{As you may or may not have noticed, I made a big mistake here. I didn't allow for my cuff! On the other side I can still cuff up the fabric, if I do that on this side, half my heart goes missing! Oops}

Learn from my mistakes.

Lastly, I covered one of the back pockets with lace.

{Seriously, I've had way too many pictures of my butt on here lately}

{My Thoughts}

So far, this project has given me the most problems. First, I tried to cut fabric for the front before sewing it on... that was cut wrong. Then I left the whole lot of fabric on and cut after I sewed along each edge. That proved difficult. Since I was not trying it on along the progress, I forgot to cuff the pants and thus, need to re-do my heart! I do love the fabric though and you can never go wrong with lace!

{Your Turn}

I think my days of hand sewing these projects (I was on vacation- no sewing machine!) have made me appreciate my clothing a little more. ha! Are any of you working on clothing items as well? Have you had any "oops" moments like I just had? If so, let's hear about them! This is a place to laugh and learn so feel free to join in!

Also- don't forget that Wednesday, March 20th we will be participating in a SPRING BLOG HOP! That means no Thursday clothing post, but instead a fun new spring craft instead. You wont want to miss it!

I bought the all black bikini years ago and more recently found that red and white striped top. I started wearing it with the black bottoms and have always thought it needed a little extra something to pull the two together. When I saw this pin I was convinced that adding a small "something" to the bottom would be perfect!

Instead of the bow however, I opted for a few rows of ruffles. I love ruffles and it was the perfect way to incorporate both the red and the white colors.

{Here's How}

First, buy some "swim and dance" material from your fabric store. Purchasing even 1/16 of a yard will be PLENTY of material! I ended up cutting my 1/16 into four to get it the size I wanted. It all depends on how wide you want the ruffles.

Next, stitch a row of long gathering stitches along the center of your fabric. Leave a good amount of thread hanging at each end so that you can pull on it later.

Keep doing this until you run out of thread. This stitching will be removed later, so it can be more than you need. If it's not long enough however, you can ruffle it by hand too.

After you're done, bunch the fabric together by pushing it towards the center.

Once you have it bunched up, sew it to your bikini bottoms! Since I hand stitched it, I tacked it down over each ruffle. My ruffled piece was a little short so I simply bunched it up before each stitch as I neared the edge of my bottoms. If you are machine stitching, change your settings back to a normal length and sew down the center.

When finished, remove the first thread that was used to ruffle the fabric if you can. This isn't necessary but does make it look a bit nicer.

{One More Thing}Just in case you're not having enough fun with "I could make that!" March, I will be participating in another blog hop with my super crafty blog buddies on March 20. Most of them were the talented girls you met during the Ring in the New Year Blog Hop or A Lovely Blog Hop, but there are a few new ones too! Since March 20 is the first day of Spring, all of our projects will be spring themed! You wont want to miss all the crafty fun so mark your calendars!

{Your Turn}
Do you have an old swim suit that needs a new look? How do you like the ruffles? I would love to hear your input and of course your own progress, so please please comment! I love to hear what you have to say.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Hello from the beautiful beaches of the Gulf shore! It's spring break for me and I am enjoying every minute of it. Of course, part of that enjoyment includes making some new outfits for "I could make that!" March. This time, I made a super easy maxi skirt!

This can be made by even the most beginner seamstress. It is an easy elastic waistband with a detached band which gives it a more "finished" look. Come learn how:

{The Inspiration Pin}Even though I have been wanting to make this skirt for YEARS (really, I have owned this fabric specifically for a maxi skirt) I was pushed to create by this monthly challenge and the following pins:

Okay, I couldn't pick just one. I really love maxi skirts and dresses.

{How to Make it}

It's easy and quick! First, pick a fabric that you love. I suggest using knit.

You don't need to use a pattern. Simply wrap the fabric loosely around your body and measure. Don't worry about making it tight at your waist, so allow for the widest part of your body plus room to move.

Mark your fabric with some pins or use a ruler to cut a straight line in your fabric. Don't worry about the length right now so just keep it as long as your fabric is naturally (just make sure that it is at least floor length)

Next, pin the "height" edges together with your fabric right sides together and sew a seam. I sew at 5/8 inch, but 1/2 is also acceptable.

Next, measure your waist at the point that you want the skirt to hit. Cut a piece of elastic to that length. Fold down the top of your skirt a little bit larger than your piece of elastic (this will be the area where the elastic slides through) and sew along the very edge. Make sure to keep the end open so that you can insert your elastic!

(sorry for an absence of pictures here- if you have questions, I'll make some)

Attach a safety pin to the end of your elastic and run it through your newly made fabric casing. When you get it through, remove the safety pin, sew up the opening in your fabric and sew a stitch to keep the elastic in place. This isn't necessary but helps to keep the elastic from twisting around.

Lastly, hem the dress.

If you've got as much extra as I did, cut it down to just a few inches longer than you want it to be. Then, hem the ends.

For the detachable band, cut a long strip from along the "height" side of your extra fabric. Sew (right sides together), flip right side out and then close off the ends. I stitched three lines on each end of my band, simply for decorative purposes. After that, simply tie it around your waist into a bow, a knot or whatever!

{The wind was blowing, so it's hard to see how "flowey" the skirt is. Love that color though!}

{Your Turn!}

I added the detachable band so that it looked more finished than elastic, plus I will be able to tie it in a bow or wrap it twice around, both options looks great! What do you think? Can you believe how easy this skirt is? How is everyone's progress on their own "I could make that" projects? Update me!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Welcome to Day 2 of "I could make that" March! If you missed what this is all about, check out Day 1 for the details. Last time I made jewelry, so today I wanted to share a DIY t-shirt. Sound easy? It is- and totally cute. You wont believe how easy it is to make your own tees in any design you want!

I have been itching to try screen printing for a long time (I remember buying supplies with my college roommate my sophomore year... yea it's been a while) but have never actually sat down and done it. In the same way, I kept admiring Pinterest ideas on the "best way to screen print" or make your own t-shirt design. This one in particular was the inspiration for this post. I changed it up a bit however, so keep on reading...

{My Twist on it}I have to credit my mother for making this 10 times easier than I was going to! Instead of drawing my own shape and then covering the negative space with Mod Podge, I figured I would just cut some vinyl with my Silhouette and paint through that. I had planned to still use the pantyhose & hoop until my mom said "you know you wont need that if you're using vinyl". Duh Kelsie, Brilliant Mom.

{STEP ONE- Cut the Vinyl}Choose a shape or design your own and then cut it out of vinyl. It is only being used as a stencil, so pick your least favorite color of vinyl to use!

{You can't tell in the picture, but the Silhouette does a brilliant job of cutting vinyl!}

{STEP TWO- Weed Out the Vinyl}

Make sure to weed out all the pieces of vinyl that you want to see as your shape. In other words, the white is your design.

{This shape is called "Dream Big Hks" by House
of 3 and can be found in the Silhouette Store}

{STEP THREE: Attach Vinyl to T-Shirt}

I always suggest using transfer paper, especially in such a detailed design as this one. Triple check that you have pressed down all the pieces firmly. Leaving a gap could result in paint smear.

Note: If your material is very stretchy you might notice that it shifts while you are pushing down your vinyl. Just make sure that the shirt AND the vinyl are both squirming around together and you will be fine. If it's sticking to the shirt, you're good to go.

Before painting, slide a piece of cardboard between the top and bottom layer of your shirt so that the paint does not bleed through.

{STEP FOUR- Paint!}

Lightly paint over your design, keeping all excess on top of the vinyl piece. It is okay to glop it on, but don't worry about getting into the edges or you might get underneath the vinyl. I just brushed quickly over it all and it turned out perfectly.

{STEP FIVE- Let Dry & Peel}

Most paints wont take long to dry- mine took less than a half hour. Use your judgement. After it is all dry, carefully peel up the vinyl and enjoy your new personalized tee!

{We just got a bunch of snow in Indiana, so I had to throw on a sweater with my awesome new t-shirt! Don't you just love that snow?!}

{Your Turn!}

What do you think? How cool is it that we can screen print without a screen?! I think I have found my new favorite craft (like I need more clothes!) If you don't have a cutting machine or are curious about the screen version, make sure to check out Calico Skies (the blog from which I pinned my inspiration)- she is amazing! I think next time I will try a big painted area like her heart pattern. Too cute!

What about you? Update me on your progress. I can't wait to hear what you are all up to!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Welcome to Day 1 of "I could make that" March! I am so excited to have you here and to get started on this fun month long series! If you missed what this is all about, allow me to explain: One day after another one of my crazy pinning "episodes" (if you love Pinterest as much as I do, then I am sure you have them too), I realized that I have a TON of pins that I never actually make. This held especially true in my clothing/accessories board. In this case, I often pinned items that were hundreds of dollars (which I would never buy) and thought to myself "I could make that!". Well my friends, the time is here for me to actually make these items.

This challenge isn't just for me you know- it is for you too! I hope that you draw inspiration not just from my specific crafts (although maybe I will save you some money!) but from the challenge itself. Take this time to look at your pins, choose some projects that you have previously set aside and get working on them! I want to hear about your progress as well. Send me links to your finished projects and link back to my page from your own website. Let's get this challenge out there and encourage other crafters to get stuff done!

{Enough Talk... Ready to Start?}Now that the introductions are over, check out our FIRST "I could make that" March project:

{That's me! A big thanks to my amazing husband for taking some "on the body" shots for us}

{The Inspiration Pin}

There were actually 2 sources of inspiration for this one. The first was of a snake pendant that I saw at Jo-Ann Fabrics:

I used clay for my necklace and it was super easy. I also decided to make my snake a little more "slithery" and to be holding onto a bead (sort of like he grabbed a field mouse or something... morbid I know...)

{STEP ONE}

If you're a long-time follower, you know I love my Sculpey Bake Shop Clay. It's sort of my new addiction. I have made a bracelet, earrings and "Peeps" Placecard Holders plus this craft all from one block of it (and I still have some left over!)

Aaanyways, roll out a thin line of clay and shape as desired. Next, use a toothpick to make a hole through the head for the necklace chain to string through. Make sure it goes all the way through and that it is large enough for your chain. This must be done before baking!

{STEP TWO}

Using some metallic paint (I used Deco Art brand), cover the surface of the clay. Let dry.

{STEP THREE}

Press seed beads into the clay. I suggest making a small divot with a toothpick first- this makes it a little easier to guide the beads without them falling all over the place. This is also the time to add your larger bead into the tail. The clay is still flexible at this point so make it snug.

{STEP FOUR}

Bake as directed by the instructions listed on the clay packaging. When you remove from the oven it will be hot (and flexible) so allow it to cool before picking it up. I added the eyes at this point with a Sharpie marker. This can be done when painting or at the end, it doesn't matter.

{That's it! Check out the Detail Shots}

{Love that rose bead!}

{Your Turn}

What do you think? Are you happy with Day One of "I could make that!" March? What about my twist on the snake necklace?

What are YOU working on for this challenge? I really want this to be a group event, so please keep me updated on your projects and give me feedback on mine! Can't wait to hear what everyone is up to!